


Not So Simple Job

by Gaslight Dreamer (wyntirrose)



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 08:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3970360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyntirrose/pseuds/Gaslight%20Dreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A job has gone bad and Smokescreen has caught the blame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not So Simple Job

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [](http://fanfic100.livejournal.com/profile)[fanfic100](http://fanfic100.livejournal.com/) prompt End.

It was a simple job, or it was supposed to have been. In and out. They had scouted the place out and timed everything down to the nanosecond. In and out. Easy as venting. But then everything had gone wrong. He had lost contact with Swindle and Vortex and the next thing he knew the alarms that he **knew** he had disarmed were screaming to life around him. There was no time to run, no time to hide. No time to do anything but fight the guards who came after him or give in peacefully. He chose the latter. After all, it was just a robbery. No one had been hurt and the bank would be able to recoup their losses quickly enough.  
  
As the door to the main room flew open, Smokescreen knelt down on the floor, placing his hands up and lacing his fingers behind his head. He’d let the guards take him in. He’d be out by moons’ rise, Swindle would see to that. He always had in the past. He knew he could trust his partner. His lover. His soon-to-be mate. Swindle and Vortex had gotten away with all the credits they’d stolen, and as soon as they got Smokescreen out of jail, they all head underground to further cement their new criminal empire. A triad of power that would keep them -- and all the Neutrals who came to them -- safe from the Autobot-Decepticon war.  
  
“You are the neutral designated Smokescreen?” the security officer asked. He was tall and slender, but there was clearly power built into those orange and silver arms. He was bristling with weapons and stood at casual attention -- screaming military and barely contained energy. The Autobot insignia was burnt into the middle of his chest, but it was more than clear, this mech was no angel. He would shoot Smokescreen to deactivation with the slightest provocation.  
  
“I am,” Smokescreen replied, his tone completely neutral. Yes, he could try to con his way out of this, claim that he was just an innocent bystander and thank Primus you’re here Officer! But he knew that that course had less than a fifty percent chance of succeeding. No, letting himself get arrested and letting the system work for him was the best course of action. After all, this was just a simple robbery. No one had gotten hurt.  
  
A second guard, this one shorter but broader and painted in a garish combination of green and yellow, came up to Smokescreen and scanned him with a hand-held device. He examined the screen and then nodded to the other mech.  
  
“Neutral designated Smokescreen, you are hereby under arrest for the deactivation of three of the guards of the First Bank of Iacon. As you stand accused of this heinous crime you have no rights. You will be taken into custody and processed in accordance to Regulation 47 A of the Criminal Charter of Iacon. Once you are processed you will entitled to a single communication and will be assigned a state approved solicitor. You you understand this information?”  
  
As soon as Smokescreen heard the word “deactivation” his fuel ran cold and his vents stuttered. “What? No! I didn’t deactivate anyone! This was just a robbery, that’s all! Nothing more than that!”  
  
“Your confessions will be taken by the Delegate of the State Inquisitor. Keep silent until that time.”  
  
“But I didn’t do that!” Smokescreen cried, his mind swirling wildly as he tried to find a way out.  
  
_“Swin!”_ Smokescreen called out over his comm lines. _“Swindle, I’ve been captured and I need an out. Now! They’re accusing me of murder!”_  
  
The call recoiled back on him and reflected, going nowhere.  
  
“Do not bother, Smokescreen,” the orange and silver mech said. “We have a field dampener in effect. You will not be able to communicate with your compatriot or compatriots. You will be entitled to your legally entitled communication once we process you.”

With that he was dragged out of the bank and into the back of a transport. The guards never took their optics off of him, never gave him the opportunity to hack the binders and get free. But it was okay. It would be okay. Swindle would get him out of this. He always did and he always would.

They quickly arrived at the station and he was herded into the building proper. Smokescreen had been through this enough times at this point, in hundreds of cities on dozens of planets, that this was old hat by now. He was recorded, registered, and cross referenced in the system before he was finally dumped into a room by himself and a communicator. Of course, the authorities were recording everything, so he had to be careful about what he said.

“Yup?” the voice on the line asked.

“Vortex?” Smokescreen asked. “Where’s Swindle?”

“He’s busy right now. Anything I can do for you, Ace?” Vortex asked.

Smokescreen flinched slightly. He always hated it when the rotor used that nickname for him. That was Swindle’s name for him and no one else’s. Still, this was not the time or the place to get tetchy.

“Look, Tex, I got picked up today. I’m at the Iacon Fourth Precinct and I need Swindle to come post my bail. They’ve got the whole thing wrong and I need some serious back-up.”

“No problem, Smokey,” Vortex replied. “I’ll let Swindle know what’s up.”

“Thanks, Vortex. … look, on the level here? They’re accusing me of murdering three guards. This is some serious slag,” Smokescreen said somberly, trying to keep his panic at bay.

“Seriously Smokescreen, we’re there for you. You know that, right? Don’t worry about anything. Swindle and I’ll be there as soon as we can.”

Smokescreen felt himself relax slightly. He may have had concerns about Vortex, but he had no reason to not trust him. Everything would be fine.

“Thanks Vortex. I’ve got to go, my state appointed advocate is here,” Smokescreen said.

Vortex made a rude noise over the line. “Yeah, good luck with whatever idiot they’ve saddled you with. We’ll be sure to bring Blast Off with us just in case the folks in charge there are hard-afts. He knows enough about the laws to pass as an advocate if we need one.”

“Thanks, Tex,” Smokescreen said with a smile before closing the connection.

Everything would be just fine.

\---

“Who was that, Tex?” Swindle asked as he looked up from counting the take from the recent bank job.

“Just Ons checking up on us,” Vortex replied casually. “You’d swear we’ve never done this before the way he’s fretting.”

Swindle made a noncommittal sound in response. “Any word from Smokey yet?”

“Nope. But honestly, Stumpy, I’m telling you I’m getting a running vibe off of him. Have been for awhile,” Vortex said with a shrug.

“Yeah, well we’ll see about that, Tex. And don’t call me Stumpy,” Swindle said, turning back to his counting and back to trying to comm Smokescreen, getting nothing but blocked static in response.  



End file.
